June 15, 2012 – Nik Wallenda has become the first person to walk on a tightrope 1,800 feet across the mist-fogged brink of roaring Niagara Falls.

A tethered Wallenda accomplished the feat on Friday night, saying he got through by “a lot of praying.” He also credited his concentration, focus and training.

Wallenda said the feat “will be with me forever” and the worst part was waiting for TV networks to be ready as he crouched on the starting platform. “There were 10 painful minutes sitting on that platform. My legs started falling asleep and cramping up.”

Asked what he would do next, Wallenda said: “I have permits to be the first person in the world to walk across the Grand Canyon so that’s a process we’ll start working on. I’d say within three to five years I’ll accomplish that as well.”

The seventh-generation member of the famed Flying Wallendas had long dreamed of pulling off the stunt, never before attempted. Other daredevils have wire-walked over the Niagara River but farther downstream and not since 1896.

An estimated crowd of 125,000 people on the Canadian side and 4,000 on the American side watched Wallenda’s stunt. He hugged his uncle upon setting foot on solid ground again.